Period: From April 2025      Issued on 10.04.2025 using data to the end of March 2025

Rainfall: 

March rainfall for the UK was low. Southern England, Wales and Northern Ireland saw notably low rainfall, with large areas recording less than 30% of the March average. Rainfall  for Scotland and northern England was below normal, broadly receiving less than 70% of the March average with more local areas seeing less than 30%. The forecast (issued by the Met Office on 31.03.2025) shows for April, there is an increased chance of drier conditions compared to normal. For April-June the chances of a dry or wet period are similar to normal.
 

River flows:

River flows in March were normal in southern England, and above normal at some groundwater-dominated sites. Elsewhere in the UK flows were notably low, and in some cases in Northern Ireland, southern Scotland, Wales, and Northern England, flows were exceptionally low. The outlook for April is for below normal to low flows in many areas, with flows expected to be normal to above normal in chalk groundwater-dominated sites in southern England. In western Scotland, river flows are likely to be below normal in April. For April–June, the outlook is similar, with below normal flows in most areas, and rivers flows in western Scotland shifting towards the normal range.
 

Groundwater:

Groundwater levels in March were above normal in the Permo-Triassic sandstone of northern Wales and central England, and parts of the southern Chalk. Normal and below normal levels were recorded at sites elsewhere in the UK. The outlook for April is for normal to above normal levels to persist in parts of the southern Chalk and the Permo-Triassic sandstone in northern Wales. Groundwater levels at the majority of sites elsewhere in the UK are likely to be normal to below normal, with sites in the Carboniferous Limestones in south Wales likely to see notably low levels. For the three-month outlook, this pattern is likely to persist for most of the UK, with levels at some sites in the southern Chalk trending towards the normal range.